Employee Benefits (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

Schedule of Components of Net Periodic Pension Benefit (Income) Expense and Post-retirement Benefit Expense

Net periodic benefit expense (income) for the Lumen Combined Pension Plan (the "Combined Pension Plan" or the "Plan") includes the following components:


	Combined Pension Plan
	Three Months Ended June 30,			Six Months Ended June 30,
	2023		2022(1)	2023	2022(1)
	(Dollars in millions)
Service cost	$	6	11	12	23
Interest cost	67		50	135	102
Expected return on plan assets	(72)		(102)	(143)	(202)


Recognition of prior service credit	(1)		(2)	(3)	(5)
Recognition of actuarial loss	26		30	51	67
Net periodic pension expense (income)	$	26	(13)	52	(15)

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(1)These amounts include pension costs related to the Lumen Pension Plan prior to the sale of the ILEC business on October 3, 2022. For additional information on the Lumen Pension Plan, see Note 11—Employee Benefits to the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Net periodic benefit expense for our post-retirement benefit plans includes the following components:


	Post-Retirement Benefit Plans
	Three Months Ended June 30,			Six Months Ended June 30,
	2023		2022	2023	2022
	(Dollars in millions)
Service cost	$	2	2	3	5
Interest cost	25		15	51	30
Recognition of prior service cost	(2)		2	(4)	4
Recognition of actuarial loss	(5)		—	(10)	—
Net periodic post-retirement benefit expense	$	20	19	40	39